Overboard,words,trapped,icecream
by A-fox-trying-to-write
Summary: this is this years dickdami stories i did on tumblr. since there is no new chapter i offer this
1. Overboard

"This is unbearable," Damian groaned as yet another girl waved towards the man besides him. She got up starting to come over.

"Being sociable helps with the cover, it's not my fault they're mostly women."

"Right, like you aren't flirting right back Grayson."

"Shush," Dick hissed as the girl approached. "Hello," he greeted.

"Hello yourself, what are you going alone?" She asked much to Damian's annoyance.

"I'm not actually, this is my brother Alex, I'm Sam." Dick replied introducing them by their alias' for the trip.

"Oh! Hello," The girl turned towards Damian holding out a hand. "I'm Linda."

"I wouldn't," Damian replied, referring to the handshake. "I've been sick lately," he lied letting out a fake cough.

"Well alright then," Linda responded withdrawing her hand and turning back to his brother. "What brings you on this trip?"

"Just a brotherly outing what about you-" Dick was interrupted by a series of coughs. He looked over to see Damian nearly doubled over coughing.

"I don't feel well Sam, I think I'm running a fever, I feel hot." Damian whined looking up at him.

"Maybe you should take your brother back to his room," Linda spoke up, looking concerned.

"I suppose I should," Dick relented. "I'll be back in a second, don't go anywhere."

"Another day Sam," Linda responded. "Take care of your brother first.

Dick sighed as she walked away before turning to look at Damian, only to find him already walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Back to the room, we need to talk."

* * *

"Well? What is it?" Dick asked once they had made it back to the room.

"He left his room," Damian replied pulling off the wig he wore.

"Who?"

"The target? The reason we're on this cruise in the first place Grayson. Or have you forgotten that we are here on a mission and not to flirt." Damian snapped, grabbing the supplies he needed for the mission.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I couldn't very well say, 'Grayson the man we are to procure the information from has left his room for the first time,' now could I?"

"Okay okay, what's the plan then?"

"I'll get into the room, keep him busy while I get the information. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Alright, be quick."

* * *

Dick trailed the man to the bar area watching as he sat down. After a few moments Dick approached.

"Hey John! I didn't know you were here- oh sorry I thought you were someone else." Dick said a he took his hand off the target's shoulder.

"It's no problem mate."

"I feel bad for interrupting your evening, can I buy you a drink?"

"If ya insist," the man laughed.

"I'm Sam, what's your name?" dick asked sitting down.

"Max."

* * *

Damian watched as the screen clicked over to 100% then to 'Download complete.' He quickly packed up and left the room. He was about to call Dick when screams shattered the air. Damian put his phone away venturing towards the disturbance.

"Leak! Leak! There's a leak on the boat, everybody off we are going to sink!"

Damian quickly pulled his phone back out calling Dick.

"Grayson," he spoke as soon as the man picked up, "the boat is sinking."

"I heard, where are you?"

"I'm-" Damian was cut off as the boat suddenly rocked throwing him overboard which would have been fine, he was a strong swimmer, except for the pain that he felt as his head hit the railing and darkness quickly followed.

* * *

When he awoke the first thing Damian noticed was the cold he pried open his eyes looking around.

"Damian you're awake thank god!" Dick shouted rushing to his brothers side.

"Where are we?"

"Lifeboat headed to the closest store, you were thrown overboard and knocked out," Dick explained as he looked Damian over. "I think you'll be fine."

"Did you get the information?" Damian asked pushing himself up.

"Yeah you had in on you still when I found you. Are you cold?" Dick asked as he noticed the boy shivering.

"No, I am fine," Damian said attempting to stop shivering. It was hard though, the night air was cold and his clothes were soaked.

"You'll catch a cold Dames, you at least need to take off what's wet."

"And what do you suppose I change into Grayson?"

Dick didn't respond instead dropping a bag in front of Damian. Curious the boy looked inside seeing his Robin suit.

"It's not ideal but we couldn't leave it on the ship," Dick said flinching as Damian's wet jacket was flung over his face and the boy changed.

Being out of the wet clothes helped but Damian was still shivering. He grit his teeth as Dick wrapped him in a blanket and tugged him close.

I'm fine!" He snapped.

"You'll warm up up faster this way," Dick replied holding him despite his struggling. "How's your head feel?"

"Fine," Damian muttered giving in a bit.

"You'll have to take it easy for the rest of the night."

"Whatever Grayson."

Though he hated to admit it his head was still pounding and the feeling of Grayson's arms was warm and comforting. He let his head rest against the man's shoulder. Dick was warm verses the frigid night and even though Damian was usually against being cuddled it felt comforting. Thus, he decided that this time he'd allow it.


	2. Words

"Robin keep up!" Nightwing snapped slowing to look at the boy who had fallen behind. "Tt, you practically beg for me to take you out and now you don't seem interested. What is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry I got distracted," Robin said as he caught up.

"You've been distracted a lot lately," Nightwing bluntly replied.

"I've just had a lot on my mind."

"We'll turn in for the night then."

"What, why? I'm-"

"Distracted, which out here can get you hurt or killed," Nightwing said cutting him off. "We are going back.

"Fine," Robin muttered but followed Nightwing as he headed back to the manor.

* * *

As soon as they got back Damian changed and headed upstairs, leaving Dick to quickly change from his Robin uniform to try to follow him. As Damian walked to his room his mind pondered Dick. The boy had been acting odd lately and if he was right it was centered around him. He wondered briefly if he had done something except his thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Damian can I talk to you?"

Damian turned to see his father standing in the doorway of his study. The man gestured for him to step in, closing the door behind him when he did.

"How was patrol?"

"Fine."

"And what about Dick?"

"What do you mean? He's fine."

"He hasn't been acting weird?"

"Perhaps a little."

"Did he say anything to you?" Bruce asked, causing confusion to etch itself on to Damian's face. "Did you say anything to him?"

It was then that Damian realized what the man before him was getting at. The words. They appeared at different times times for different people, unique to each and important to most. Everybody had a different phrase somewhere on their person, something only their soulmate would say to them. Damian hadn't shown anybody his, not even people he was certain would never be his soulmate, and nobody had said it. Indeed he was starting to think he would never hear the phrase that arched across his shoulder blades. He didn't know what Dick's was only that is was on his leg which is why the boy's Robin costume had pants.

"No, that's ridiculous. Bruce he's a boy there is no way that I'm his soulmate or that he's mine."

"I agree that it's unlikely but you never know."

"I couldn't possible have said his phrase and he hasn't said mine."

"Fine," Bruce sighed. "Just talk to him at least it's starting to affect his performance as Robin."

"Fine."

Damian turned and quickly left the study. He promptly ran into none other than Dick himself. He quickly steadied himself then reached out to help Dick who had been knocked to the floor. Dick took his hand and climbed to his feet before quickly pulling his hand away much to the other's confusion.

"Are you alright?" Damian asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," Dick replied taking a few steps back.

"Listen," Damian started trying to figure out what to say. "Do you want to talk?"

Dick opened his mouth to respond and for a moment it looked like he was about to say 'yes'. However, instead he shut it and shook his head. The boy turned and walked down the hall disappearing into his room. Damian sighed and retreated to his own room.

* * *

Damian was about to turn off the light when there was knocking at his door. He paused already guessing who it was. Opening the door he found he was right finding Dick standing there with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders shrouding his form.

"Can I help you?"

Dick was quiet shuffling into the room and inviting himself to sit on Damian's bed. Having little other choice Damian shut the door and moved to join him. Before he could make it across the room though, Dick spoke.

"Do you remember patrol four night ago?"

"Yes, why?"

"Remember how I was upset with Bruce? And instead of sending me back to him we were talking?"

"What are you getting at Dick?" Damian asked though he had a feeling he knew.

"Do you remember what you told me?"

"Stop stalling."

"What did you say?"

"Just tell me if-"

"What did you say?!" Dick snapped cutting Damian off.

"I told you," Damian hesitated trying to sort out what he had said that could be it, he glanced at the boy's leg as something came to mind. "I told you that you had to fly with your own wings."

"You said it."

"Dick that's impossible. There's no way I'm your soulmate."

In response Dick simply stood dropping the blanket. The action revealed that he was wearing a pair of shorts from before his words appeared. Damian's eyes slowly traveled to his legs seeing the words that wound around his left calf. He didn't have to see all of the phrase to what it said.

"There it is, you can't deny it. You can't say that it doesn't say what you said."

"Dick-"

"Fly with your own wings."

Damian sighed, he finished crossing the room sitting down. He pulled the boy to do the same. It was quiet for a moment before Damian finally spoke.

"You're too young."

"And because of that you think I'm not your soulmate?"

"It's not just that-"

"The words don't lie." Dick said cutting Damian off for the third time that night.

This time however, Damian's heart fluttered.

"What?"

"I said, the words don't lie."

Ah, there it was the phrase that spanned Damian's shoulder blades.


	3. Icecream

"Father-"

"No Damian."

"It's not that bad."

"Alfred says it's for the best."

"Tt."

Damian pouted and started to regret bringing up his toothache. Despite what might be thought about him Damian had quite the sweet tooth and often indulged himself in sweets as snacks. Because of this he had found that his tooth hurt and when he reported it to Alfred the man -accordingly- forbade him from sweet for the time being. He tried to argue that he was fine but the man was adamant and unfortunately the boy's father agreed. Damian sighed and left his father's study.

"I'm going out," he called.

"No sweets!"

"Yes father!" Damian replied harshly.

Damian snatched his sweater from the rack by the door and quickly left the manor and soon the grounds. Damian walked for a long time aimlessly wandering the city. As he walked he saw a familiar figure up ahead.

"Grayson!" He called.

The man stopped turning around, a smile lit his face when he saw Damian.

"Dames, what are you up to?"

"Getting out of the manor," Damian replied as he caught up.

"I can't blame you for that. What was is this time?"

"A disagreement."

"Well obviously," Dick said starting to walk again. He shifted the bags he was carrying to one hand and ruffled Damian's hair with the other. "I meant what was it about?"

"Nothing of your concern," Damian snapped fixing his hair.

"Alright fine, come you can hang at my place. There's an ice cream spot on the way back too."

Damian perked up upon hearing that. He shoved his hands in his pockets continuing to follow Dick.

"That's acceptable."

* * *

"Easy there Dames, the cup might not fit all of that," Dick said laughing as the boy ordered yet more toppings for his ice cream.

"Shut up Grayson," Damian said not turning away from the spread of toppings thinking about what else he wanted to tell the worker to add.

To Damian's utter delight the ice cream place Dick had brought them too had the choice of having candy, chocolate, and other things of the like mixed into the ice cream. Of course, he promptly ignored the fact that he wasn't supposed to have sweets and ordered tons of things mixed in. Dick of course was amused by this.

"Do you even care about me anymore, or just the ice cream?" Dick asked as they took a seat at a table outside.

"Don't be ridiculous Dick, I only ever cared about the ice cream."

"Ouch Dames, are you saying I'm some sort of sugar daddy?"

Damian only looked at him a confusion expression etching itself across his face.

"And that would be?" He asked waiting for an explanation of the term.

"Oh, uh," Dick didn't know how to explain it, well he did but telling his younger brother what it actually meant didn't feel right. "It just means someone who gets things for you."

"Well then considering that you did in fact buy the ice cream and it has sugar you would in fact be a sugar daddy," Damian responded bluntly causing Dick to blush a bit.

Damian took another bite but flinched as a shot of pain went through his tooth.

"Are you alright?" Dick asked

Damian started to reply but was cut off as dick's phone rang. He waved at the other man to answer it continuing to eat his ice cream despite the pain. Dick answered his phone talking for a few moments before hanging up. He looked at Damian with a look that wasn't quite upset but certainly was content.

"That was Alfred," Dick said causing Damian to falter slightly in his movements. "He says you're not supposed to be eating sweets, why?"

"I have a minor toothache," Damian responded off handedly.

"Why didn't you tell me Damian? You shouldn't be having that!" Dick said gesturing to Damian's cup.

"I'm fine!" Damian snapped. "It's nothing really," he said turning slightly as though he was trying to protect his cup.

Dick sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He laughed and shook his head.

"Fine, I won't tell Alfred but you really should lay off the sweets for awhile."

"Maybe," Damian responded insincerely.

"No 'maybe', you're gonna take a break alright?"

"Tt, fine whatever."

"There we go," Dick said reaching across the table to ruffle Damian's hair.

"Would you stop that!"


	4. Trapped

Robin growled and swung around to kick a goon in the face, then ducked a punch and thre another. He wasn't growing tired as he and Nightwing fought a seemingly endless swarm of goons but he was growing more and more frustrated. He had not been having a good last few days Talia had shown up at the manor unexpectedly. Her appearance had caused unease in both Damian and his father, thus it was decided that Robin should accompany Nightwing for a while instead of Batman. This lead to his new source of stress, he and Nightwing had tracked Scarecrow to his hideout and received orders to go in for a capture. Now they were stuck in a battle with a ton of his goons.

"This isn't working!" Robin snapped tearing off his gas mask and dodging away from the goons.

"Put that back on and keep going!" Nightwing called taking off his gas mask momentarily to do so.

"We need a different plan-"

Robin was cut off by a bullet ricocheting off of the object in his hand. Effectively his gas mask was shattered. Nightwing and Robin looked towards the source of the bullet finding the Scarecrow himself standing there.

"So you finally show your pathetic face Crane!" Robin greeted as the goons suddenly vacated the room.

"Right you are," Scarecrow chimed. "You see while you were out here I was busy making preparations for my escape."

"You aren't going anywhere!" Robin yelled starting to advance on the man.

He stopped when a sudden hissing noise filled the room.

"Shit."

Scarecrow crackled and gestured around at the valves pumping fear gas into the room. It would be mere moments before it started to affect them.

"This is a predicament isn't it? Have fun!"

With that Scarecrow turned and ran. Robin was about to take of after him when he was stopped by Nightwing catching his shoulder.

"Here, put this on then we have to get out," Nightwing instructed.

Robin looked down to see Nightwing pressing his gas mask into his hand.

"Nightwing no, put that on, we have to focus and getting out."

"Don't argue just put it on!" Nightwing snapped as the room started to grow cloudy.

"I'll be fine-"

Nightwing took the opportunity to shove the gas mask on. Before Robin could protest or take it off he turned pulling him into a run as they headed for the exit.

A few moments later though Nightwing had to stop coughing as he breathed in the toxic air. Robin was about to force him to take back his gas mask when a sudden explosion rocked the building. He grabbed his wrist forcing him to keep running instead. Nightwing stopped abruptly much to the confusion and frustration of the younger man.

"What are you doing?" He asked turning to face his brother.

"No- no no no," Nightwing backed up his eyes growing wide behind his mask. "Don't you'll fall…"

Robin started to reach out to the frightened man when another explosion rocked the building causing Nightwing to scream in fear. Quickly Robin grabbed his hand trying to pull him to the exit. They didn't make it far as several explosions went off causing the roof to cave in and smoke accompanied by heat to cloud the room.

Robin's head was ringing and his body ached as he sat up in the spot that the explosion had thrown him. He cast his gaze around looking for his brother, spotting the man starting to get up a few feet away. Robin pulled out his flashlight shining it around, it would appear as though they were buried under rubble. He pulled off his -or rather Nightwing's- gas mask inspecting the crack from the explosion and tossing it away. He was lucky though as it seemed that the explosion had disapited the gas. The gas, he quickly looked to Dick finding the man cowering in fear.

"Grayson?" He called moving to the man's side in the small space they were trapped in.

"It's so dark- I can't see I can't see…"

Damian frowned he had thought his flashlight was enough to illuminate the small space but apparently not to the toxin infected man. He reached forward to pull Dick's from his belt pulling back his hand man when the man jumped.

"Grayson it's me," he said pulling off his mask then retrieving the second flashlight and turning it on as well.

Dick appeared to relax a bit once both lights were on. Damian reached out -slower this time- to gently pull his mask off.

"Grayson? Richard? Are you okay?"

Damian didn't get a response as Dick looked around. Much to the younger's dismay his breathing quickened and he pulled into himself.

"Richard-"

"Damian!" Dick suddenly called startling the named man. "Damian we're trapped! We're trapped we can't get out!"

"Richard, calm down," Damian said trying to asses the situation.

It seemed as though Dick hadn't had a large dose of the toxin since he was aware enough to tell what was happening and who he was with, that was good. Damian checked his comm hearing nothing but static and a whine, that was bad. He pressed his belt activating the distress signal then turned back to Dick who had started to babble.

"Don't you're gonna fall, you'll fall. You can't perform."

Damian frowned, maybe Dick had breathed in more than he thought. He pulled off his gloves then gently grabbed Dick's hand unintentionally starling him.

"Richard stay with me, nobody is going to fall."

"You're going to fall-"

Dick cut himself off by yelping as one of the flashlights flicked and went out. Damian cursed reaching for the broken one and trying to get it back on. No luck, he groaned and tossed it away. He'd have to remember to scold Dick later for not maintaining his gear or maybe it was broken by the explosion he didn't know and right now he had bigger problems. He turned to Dick who had started to whimper.

"It's so dark, I can't see. The walls… Damian! The walls are closing in!"

"Richard, you're fine the walls aren't closing in."

Gently he reached out and tugged Dick close, it was awkward since he was smaller and the man wasn't helping. Eventually though he got them situated so that Dick was laying in his lap, it was the best he could do in the small space. Still, despite it than man continued to whimpered.

"The walls aren't closing in," Damian repeated wiping away the tears that had started to leak down Dick's cheeks.

"You're going to be fine Richard, help is coming okay? The walls aren't closing in, no one is going to fall. You are going to be fine, I'm here to make sure of that okay?"

And so Damian sat running his hands through Dick's hair to calm him and whispering reassurances.


End file.
